Prince's estate, Warner Records and Minneapolis public radio station the Current have joined forces to take fans inside the creation of Prince's 1999 album. They've created Prince: The Story of 1999, a four-part podcast whose first episode debuted today.

Hosted by Andrea Swensson, one of the writers who contributed to the upcoming 1999 Super Deluxe Edition and a host on the Current, the podcast features interviews with musicians, scholars and Prince's friends about the record. It also contains a sneak preview of some of the previously unreleased music that will be found on the box set.

The first installment is called "My Mind Says Prepare to Fight." Future episodes, called "Rearrange," "The Idolmaker" and "Let's Work," are expected to become available every Tuesday until Dec. 10, with airings on the Current that night at 8PM Central. You can stream or subscribe to the podcast feed using any of the services here, or use any other preferred podcast platform.

“It’s been such a treat to take a deep dive into these vault tracks and speak to collaborators about the pivotal period of Prince’s career when he introduced his Minneapolis Sound to the world,” Swensson said in a press release. “Prince and the Current had a special relationship, and it means the world to us to see this partnership continue and to work in collaboration with the Prince Estate.”

Arriving Nov. 29, the Super Deluxe Edition of 1999 contains five CDs with a remastered version of the original album, promo mixes and b-sides, 35 previously unreleased tracks of songs from the sessions, a CD of a concert from Detroit, and a DVD of a show from Houston. It also includes Prince's handwritten lyrics for several songs and photos from Allen Beaulieu. Liner notes were provided by Swensson, David Fricke, Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan and Prince scholar Duane Tudahl.

 

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